Medical Marijuana: Hashing Out The Legal Details

More States Look To Pass Medical Marijuana Laws

Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia have medical marijuana laws, and more states are about to jump on the bandwagon.

Illinois and New Hampshire may very well become the 19th and 20th states, respectively, to adopt medical marijuana laws within the next month or two, says Mason Tvert, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project.

Colorado and Washington have medical marijuana laws in place and have legalized marijuana for recreational use.

As more states legalize medical or recreational marijuana, the laws and legal issues become more intricate.

And though states may legalize marijuana, the Fed still defines it as an illegal drug.

Federal vs. state law

There's no such thing as "medical" marijuana under federal law, regardless of state laws.

"It's really up to the Department of Justice, and they have not yet given a formal answer on how they plan on moving forward with all of this," says Tvert.

The DOJ has continually said that they are reviewing the initiatives and watching to see what happens with the legislative process and the establishment of these regulatory systems, he notes.

Back in October 2009, the DOJ issued guidance for federal prosecutors in states with medical marijuana laws.

Dubbed the Ogden Memo, those guidelines explain that "it is likely not an efficient use of federal resources to focus enforcement efforts on individuals with serious illnesses who use marijuana as part of a recommended treatment regimen consistent with applicable state law or their individual non-commercial caregiver."

Yet, those in the business of cultivating, selling or distributing marijuana, along with persons who facilitate those activities knowingly, are violating Federal law and can be prosecuted.

It's important to note that the guidelines did not legalize marijuana.

But other than those guidelines, states are on their own to hash out the details of medical marijuana law.

"Things have been moving along in a somewhat legal gray area when it comes to the interplay between state and federal law," says Tvert.

That could remain the case for a while, or it could be addressed, he says.

State legal issues

There are bound to be questions and concerns when it comes to implementation, regulation and enforcement of marijuana laws at the state level.

"This is the establishment of a new industry," notes Tvert.

For example, Colorado just recently passed a law to limit the amount of THC a person can have in their blood while driving — 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood.

It's a not a per se limit, meaning those charged can argue in court that they weren't really impaired.